Halfords bikes? Get a merida, they're better. Or indeed a giant or specialized or trek.

All of changes that Boardman has made to the Team FS for 2016 are positive ones. You still get one of the best-dressed bikes for under a grand, but the frame now possesses a ride quality that’s every bit as fitting as the finishing kit adorning it. In the end, it was a very close call between the Boardman Team FS and the Calibre Bossnut. If the Team FS came with the stiffer, 142x12mm rear end, and better tyres, Boardman could easily be looking at a double-digit rating.
Read more at http://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspe ... LkKohgD.99

As first impressions go, the VooDoo Zobop certainly has impact; the eye-catching neon green front end contrasting nicely with the gloss black rear end. It’s not just the Voodoo’s frame finish that’s sleek though. The riding position is also dialled, and the bike pedals efficiently and makes surprisingly light work of the climbs for a 140mm-travel bike. It’s on the descents however, that the Zobop reveals its true colours. This bike is a total shredder. With better grips and a dropper seat post, we are 100 per cent confident that it could keep up with bikes costing twice its price.
Read more at http://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/full-suspe ... 6G8IA9G.99

It gets better: It currently has a Child Seat on it, like this one...

Do you know the max weight\age that seat will work with? Thinking of getting a bike I can take my son out on.

Also anyone have a recommendation on balance bikes for kids? (3) was just looking at getting one from Tesco Direct as we have £200 worth of club card vouchers. But if there are better recommendations would be happy to look at them

Any balance bike will do. What i did with MiniKov was just take pedals off his bike.

I considered a balance bike but then realised that Randall is lazy so I would have to push her everywhere on it, and it's only work going downhill sio balls to that.

Same experience for me. Nothing more frustrating than shuffling down the street, stooping over a bored child so you can push them on their balance bike while they paddle like a half-drowned dog in a pond.

I took Minikov to a tennis court at the park. he whizzed round

When bored, we left

Not sure if he is like other kids with his wiliness to get out and do things, but he can be really lazy with walking wanting me to carry him all the time.

Don't forget kids have much smaller legs and have to take more steps to cover the same distance as you, so get tired much quicker than adults.

Apologies if this sounds obvious/granny sucking eggs type thing, but I've seen parents try to transition from pushchairs on e.g. the school run and will literally go from child sitting one day to walking the next and then get cross at the kid because they can't walk to and from the school without wanting to be picked up.

Balance bikes are awesome. I'm sure they helped my kids make a quicker transition from having having stabilisers on pushbikes to going without them.

I chuck Tubbs into a rubber ring and she'll bob abut a bit and do some kicking to swim a length or to eventually, then she just wants to jump in a lot. I think MrsA wil take Withnail and I to some place for swimmng lessons (£20 an hour)because I dunno how to properly do it, i just go as it is realtivly quiet for an hour or so.

I find with my son that if we meet my brother somewhere for a walk then he will happily walk for miles, if I take him to the park around the corner then he wants to be carried.

Also when we go to the supermarket I will park as far away as possible as its just habit now to get steps done, so he wants me to carry him until we get to the doors then he wriggles until I put him down and is off to the toy section bugging me to get him Thomas trains!

On the topic of swimming lessons we had a call back from somebody who does 1-1 at the local pool £20 for 30 mins

I have a mate who's boy is around the same age as mine, he said you should not put stabilisers on the bike when they move from a balance bike?

No way I'm going to teach him as he will just want to piss around with me

Number 6 if you don't include the tandem

I like that.

Look at that saddle, be like sitting on a razor blade.

Look at that saddle, be like sitting on a razor blade.

Who's Rover is that?

Rule 25 followed.

My current record stands at 18x

Crikey. Good work.

I want to change the shifters on the boardman, as the current SRAM ones aren't as comfortable as Shimano's Rapid Fire Plus ( they are like orginal rapid fire, using thumb for up and down), and I need to sort out seatpost and saddle, as it isn't right at all. I don't think I can legitimately argue for a dropper right now, though, at £300. I might stick some bar ends on it, though. And the clipless pedals, they are important.

Get a brand x or a tranzx roughly £140 fitted! You have stealth holes in the frame?

Oh, super, thank you. I shall have a look. And for frame holes, too.